l66 A HISTORY OF THE BORGIAS
that Cardinal Cesare had killed the Duke in order that he
might take his place as the Pope's soldier-son. Once started,
the accusation was repeated by Cappello the twenty-eighth
of September, 1500; and by Don Silvio Savelli in Novem-
ber 1501; three and four years after the event: nor does
it lack repetition by cheap and showy panderers to a guile-
less public fond of having its flesh made to creep at the
present day. All that is known of the murder already has
been set down here. But one vital consideration remains
to be stated, one new point of view to be described; and it
is due to the rumour of Orsini invention mentioned above.
According to Monsignor Hans Burchard the Caerimo-
narius, Cardinal Cesare and the Duke of Gandia parted,
on the night of the fourteenth of June, 1497, by the Vice-
chancellor's palace (Palazzo Sforza-Cesarini) on Banchi
Vecchi; whence the latter, saying that he was going to
amuse himself, etc., went in the direction of the Jews'
Quarter with his two attendants, the bully, and the un-
known mask who undeniably had come by appointment.
Rome of 1497 was divided for purposes of government
into fourteen Regions (Rioni) ruled by captains (capo-
rioni) under a prior. The Vicechancellor's palace on Banchi
Vecchi is in the Region called Ponte, which extends from
the church of San Giovanni de* Fiorentini to the Region
called Santangelo after the church of that dedication in the
Fishmarket (Pescheria). Now this Region of Ponte was
inhabited chiefly by the Orsini faction; as the region of
Trevi and the Region of Ripa were inhabited by the Co-
lonna and Savelli factions respectively. In this Region of
Ponte lived also Jews: it was the quarter of the bankers
and the money-changers, as well as of the prisons, public
and private torture-chambers, (no evidence was taken from
commoners except under torture,) all under the official
protection of the House of Orsini. Here is Cord Lane
(Vicolo della Corda), where the ordinary Question or